


Welcome To Blizzmart

by aeriiin



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grocery Store, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, grocery store au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 11:59:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17059382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeriiin/pseuds/aeriiin
Summary: “To the Blizzmart family of loyal customers and employees,We at Blizzmart have been proud to provide for our community for many, many strong years. As we approach the tail-end of our 30th year, it is with a heavy heart that we announce that we will be--”Jesse’s voice wavered and his heart sank in his chest as he read and re-read the next line over and over in his head before he finally gained the courage to say it out loud.“We will be closing our doors at the end of this upcoming spring.”





	1. Aisle One: Produce

 

 

The parking lot was relatively empty this early in the morning, which was a bit surprising. Sure, the store didn’t really open ‘til seven, but Jesse never knew when those elderly early-birds or stay-at-home parents would strike. 

 

Slipping into the nearest spot he could find, Jesse cut the engine to his truck with a rattling sputter, and butted his head against the headrest behind him. He swore he could already feel the chilling air creeping inside the old pick-up as he grabbed his glove from the console and began to reach for the door handle. 

 

Maybe if he closed his eyes, if he really concentrated, he could blink and his shift would be over. Just like that. His day would be over in a flash, hell, maybe  _ his week  _ and then he’d have his paycheck and be one step closer to that down payment and then--

 

Just then, his phone quietly chimed in the cupholder.

 

**_Lady Bird (6:38 AM)_ **

 

_ [ officially bk in states! ] _

_ [ still have 1 more flight to cath bfore im home] _

_ [ *catch ] _

 

He smiled and texted a quick message back before slipping on his glove and bundling up further in his jacket, the wind already cutting into him as he stepped out from the truck.

 

**_You (6:38 AM)_ **

_ [ welcome bk reeha ] _

_ [ goin in for shift, send help ] _

 

There was a long pause before he heard another ping and saw her newest messages. The first was a picture of probably the cutest damn bearded dragon he’d ever seen in his life holding a clover in its little baby mouth. He may or may not have actually giggled at the sight before he got her next messages.

 

**_Lady Bird (6:40 AM)_ **

_ [ he believes in u! ] _

_ [ gtg boarding soon. dont tell mum, wanna surprise her! ] _

 

**_You (6:40 AM)_ **

_ [ will do. safe travels, birdie ] _

 

He waited for just a few minutes more before stowing his phone in his back pocket and tried not to drag his feet as he marched towards the front entrance on this cold, dreary Monday morning.

 

On the inside, Blizzmart was a simple grocery store, if there was every such a thing. Plain white floors with plain pastel-blue accents and plain metal shelves ran all throughout the store, all stocked with a plethora of canned products and boxed goods and what not. A fresh produce section greeted customers at the very front of the store, which then slowly moved into a baked goods and pre-cooked meals section further on in. Bisecting the main thoroughfare of the entrance was a ring-like refrigerated shelf of fancy cheeses, which never seemed to have anyone manning it, yet always remained fully stocked. 

 

Jesse stopped in place as he realized he had been nearing the back of the store towards the bakery unconsciously, his legs moving as his mind wandered about. He was close enough to where he could hear a bit of bustling already from the far back of the section, catching just a few odd tid-bits of conversation as the bakers hurried about their day with work on their minds. 

 

But he didn’t pay that any mind the moment he saw that damned Mr. Shimada come out from the walk-in, his biceps bulging under his work shirt as he hoisted a large box up onto his shoulder like it weighed nothing to him -- probably wasn’t too far from the truth, since those arms of his looked like they could snap him in half like a toothpick,

 

The thought brought a coy smirk to his lips as he mused how it wouldn’t be such a bad way to go.

 

Shaking himself from those thoughts, he made as though he were looking over the self-serve pastry bar before trudging back towards his true destination. There was a time and place for everything, after all.

 

On the other side of the cheese section lay the in-store flower department, the area surrounding the small corner of the store dotted with delicate potted plants and an assortment of celebration balloons.  

 

Behind the counter, sweet little Ana looked up from a series of papers and waved at him as he approached, a gentle but knowing smile on her lips. “Ah, good morning, my cowboy Casanova.”

 

Jesse felt his ears heat up as he shrugged off his coat and threw on his apron, punching his number in on the small time-clock beside the coat hooks and gathering his hair into a lazy ponytail. “Don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout, ma’am.”

 

“Mm-hm?” She hummed with a good-natured laugh. “So that wasn’t you fawning over our strapping Mr. Shimada then?”

 

“Nah. Just seein’ if they got those apple danishes back yet.” Jesse chose at this very opportune time to marvel at how meticulously straight the flowers on display were today. Just lovely. “They don’t, in case you were wonderin’.”

 

“Habibi,” she clicked her tongue with a motherly look of concern. “How long are you going to keep doing this? Marching your way over there only to turn around and never say a word to him…” Shifting through the papers, she looked across the way and waved at Mr. Shimada, who gave a short wave back and then turned to address his crew for their morning team meeting. “He’s quite the gentleman, actually. A bit terse, but friendly enough. What’s the harm in just saying ‘hello’?”

 

Jesse hung up his coat, sparing on quick glance over to the bakery before shaking his head with a half-smile. It was a nice thought, but nice thoughts never did him any good in the long-run.

 

“I mean no disrespect, ma’am, but I’ve learned better than to push my luck on these sorts of things. M’better off just admirin’ from a distance. Can’t get burned if I don’t stick my hand in the fire, y’know?” As if on cue, a timely gust of cool air from the AC unit above them blew against his bare neck and he shivered fiercely. “Speakin’ of which, any updates on when maintenance is gonna fix the damn AC? Freezin’ my damn nuh--”

 

Ana quickly gave him a warning look. “Jesse--”

 

“ _ Nose _ . Freezin’ my damn  _ nose  _ off.” He shiffled for effect and gave her a cheeky grin. “What’d you think I was gonna say?”

 

She rolled her one eye, sighing as she shook her head and turned her attention back towards her papers. “To answer your question: no. Jack says he’s been a bit busy as of late--”

 

“He’s always busy.” Jesse scoffed with an eye-roll of his own and turned towards the flower case. 

 

“Yes, well, he’s been  _ busier _ since that store opened.” Ana grumbled grouchily, gesturing in the air as she fought for the name. “Talon-whatever. Talon, eh--”

 

“Talonco?”

 

“That one.” She nodded. “They’ve been making Jack’s life hell as of late.”

 

Jesse huffed.  “Don’t exactly see what they’ve got to do with why Jack’s too busy to process a maintenance request.”

 

This time, Ana gave a long, tired sigh that sounded heavier than she intended. “They’re saying all the right things to our people.” She shuffled through her forms with one hand, but as he turned back to look towards her, Jesse could see Ana had a far off look on her face. “We can’t compete with their prices, their sales. They’re draining us dry these days, and we just can’t keep up.”

 

“What’re you sayin’, Ana?” Jesse furrowed his brow and took a step forward. “Talonco’s only been open for a couple months, barely that. People’re still shoppin’ here--”

 

“But it’s not enough, Jesse.” Ana insisted firmly. Her fingers, which had been hovering over one of the papers for some time now, finally pulled it from the pile and her eyes raised up to meet his. “Jack’s... made a decision.”

 

“Made a--” He frowned. “Ana, what exactly is going on?”

 

Wordlessly, she held out the paper to Jesse, who snatched it in a heartbeat and began to read it aloud to himself, despite the small part of him that already knew what it said.

 

_ “To the Blizzmart family of loyal customers and employees, _

 

_ We at Blizzmart have been proud to provide for our community for many, many strong years. As we approach the tail-end of our 30th year, it is with a heavy heart that we announce that we will be--” _

 

Jesse’s voice wavered and his heart sank in his chest as he read and re-read the next line over and over in his head before he finally gained the courage to say it out loud.

 

“ _ We will be closing our doors at the end of this upcoming spring _ .”

 

\-----

 

_ “...While no specific final date has been decided as of yet, we promise to keep everyone informed and up-to-date as possible as we draw closer to a final decision.  _

 

_ As general manager of Blizzmart, I could not be more proud of what my team has accomplished, and wish every single one of you success in the future. _

 

_ Jack Morrison.” _

 

The bakery was eerily quiet as Hanzo folded up the letter and tucked it back into his pocket. Heavy, unyielding silence cut through what was normally a deafening din of fans and ovens, of the phone ringing and metal trays clanging harshly against metal benches. 

 

“So… that’s it?” Hana’s words only barely broke the quiet air, her voice barely audible above the hum. “We’re just… closing. Just like that that?”

 

“No, this,” Brigitte stepped forward. “This is a joke, right? Tell me you’re joking!”

 

Hanzo sighed. The moment he got this damned letter, he knew it was going to be a hard day. For everyone, really. He expected anger and frustration from Brigitte, the disbelief and shock from Hana. The look of utter defeat from both of them. 

 

“This is all because of Talonco, isn’t it?” Brigitte curled her gloved hands into her apron. “They’ve only been here a little while, w-we have loyal customers... Why are we closing? I don’t--”

 

“It’s not that simple.” Hanzo cut her off with a firm shake of his head. “There are a lot of factors at play here and none of which are in our control.”

 

“Hanzo?” Hana’s face fell as she looked to Hanzo. “Are… we being laid off?”

 

Hanzo felt his blood run cold. This had been the one question he had been dreading, and it pained him to even hesitate. He worried the inside of his cheek as he chewed over his words. “Not… not as of this very second, no. But it would be in everyone’s best interest to start looking for other places of employment.”

 

Hana bit her lip and gave a sad nod. “Okay.”

 

Hanzo straightened his back, turning stiffly to address the two. “The department heads have been told that we are to operate as usual until further notice from the general manager. As such, we will continue to process cake and catering orders throughout the rest of the year until the end of February. Are there any further questions?”

 

Brigitte raised her hand and offered up a weak smile. “Any chance we could accidentally lose that one Friday order in all this confusion?

 

Hanzo shot her a wary look, but he couldn’t fight back the smile that wormed its way onto his face and the small chuckle that escaped his lips when he heard Hana beside him snort.

 

“If that’s all the questions we have on the matter, let us get back to work.” He spared a glance at the clock and noted that they’ve only been here an hour. 

 

It was going to be a long day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!! it's been a hot minute since I last updated anything! I promise I haven't forgotten anything, but I wanted to take a bit of a break and write out this little brain child I've been working on with [Jordan](http://https://ludwigplayingthetrombone.tumblr.com/) for a while now! 
> 
> Honestly it started out as this shitpost between the two of us and somehow evolved into me being like 'fuck, wait I could WRITE this??'
> 
> Thank you for reading! As always, you can find me over at my [tumblr](http://aerihead.tumblr.com/) and my [twitter](https://twitter.com/aerihead/)!


	2. Aisle Two: Seafood/Deli/Bakery

 

 

Even before he opened the door, Hanzo could smell and hear something cooking from his apartment. The paper thin walls of the building were usually his worst nightmare, but he didn’t mind so much in moments like these, where the smell of grilled fish and stir-fry veggies wafted through the evening air and carried him inside.

 

From around the corner in the kitchen, he heard a short, playful call of, _“(Welcome back)!”_ , followed by a few pops and sizzles from a hot frying pan.

 

 _“(I’m home).”_ He grunted tiredly in response, slumping against the living room sofa with a heavy thud.

 

Genji snorted and glanced over at Hanzo from the stovetop. “Sooo, how was work?

 

Leaning his head back until it rested against the wall behind him, Hanzo closed his eyes in a vain attempt at making the dull ache in his bones go away and let out a long, exhausted groan. “No one is allowed to have a birthday for the next three days. I forbid it.”

 

“That bad, huh?”

 

“We had six cakes today, Genji. Six.” Hanzo rubbed a hand down his face. He held up a finger, and began counting off. “One full sheet that was due at eight-thirty. Two quarter-sheets due at ten, but one didn’t come and pick it up until eleven. The other didn’t even show up. Then, a half-sheet and another quarter at noon, and finally, one at four, but that was the one with the--”

 

“--With the bad picture, right?” Genji finished. “Did they ever get back to you on that?”

 

“No.” He sneered at the ceiling at the memory, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “I sent her an email on Friday, telling her we couldn’t open the file, that it was corrupted, and she would have to either swap the photo with another one, or we could change her order to not include the edible photo. No response.”

 

From the kitchen, he heard the fridge open and close, and the sound of a beer being cracked open. “Oh no, don’t tell me--”

 

“We can’t ice the rest of the cake until we print and attach the photo, so I made the decision to finish the cake without the photo.” Hanzo laughed, though it was a laughter born of anger more so than mirth. “She comes in at four, asking where her cake is, and she screams at us when we show her the cake, calling us ‘filthy con-artists’ and demanding to see the manager.”

 

“No!” Genji laughed heartily, setting one of the beers on the counter beside Hanzo. “What happened then? Did she take the cake?”

 

“I wish.” Swiping the bottle beside him, Hanzo took a long sip before gesturing to the air in frustration. “Morrison came and calmed her down, gave her a coupon, and she stormed off without it. Then, I let Brigitte take it home since it would have been shrink tomorrow anyway.”

 

“And here I thought you would have brought home a wonderful cake for your favorite little brother.” Genji shut off the stove with a click, just in time for the rice cooker beside the stove to chime.

 

“You’re my only little brother, you ass.”

 

“And therefore, your favorite. Now come get some food before I decide I only made enough for myself.”

 

This had become something of a routine as of late, the two of them crowding in their small but functional living room and eating dinner as they watched whatever reality food show was on that night. Whether it was out of respect for the silence or an uncertainty of how to talk to one another still despite everything, neither spoke much during this time. The only time that silence was broken was if they were commenting on the show or laughing about something that happened on the HV.

 

They had just gone to commercial break when Genji spoke up. “Oh, by the way, did you see that notice from the landlord?”

 

Hanzo’s blood ran cold. “A notice?”

 

“Yes, something about being behind on this month’s rent.” Genji said carefully, like he had rehearsed beforehand. He turned towards Hanzo on the couch, yet in spite of his best efforts, Hanzo refused to meet his brother’s gaze directly, instead keeping his attention on the TV ahead.

 

But even still, it wasn’t enough to hide the shame in his voice. “Oh.”

 

“Yeah, ‘oh’.” Hanzo watched the volume bar decrease and heard Genji sigh heavily beside him. “Hanzo, this is the third time this has happened. You’ve already offered to pay for some of my medical expenses, my physical therapy-- I can at least pay for half of the rent.”

 

“That is unnecessary.” He dismissed with a firm shake of his head. “There is no need for you to waste your money on this.”

 

“Waste my--” Genji frowned, the expression harshened by the deep scars. He grumbled hotly under his breath, too low for Hanzo to hear, until he finally slumped back on the couch with a groan. “I’m not wasting my money if _I’m_ living here too! If we just split the rent--”

 

“We’re fine, Genji.” Hanzo insisted and gave his brother what he hoped was a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I will let the landlord know I am getting paid Friday, so I will be able to settle this issue then. There is no need to be concerned.”

 

Genji was quiet for a moment, his eyes glancing between the hand and Hanzo with an unreadable expression on his face. With one last sigh, he picked up the remote again and turned the volume back up. “If this happens again--”

 

“It won’t--”

 

“But in the off-chance it does,” he continued, “Promise me you will tell me and let me help. With this or… anything, really.” Quietly, as if he almost didn’t want to say it, Genji added, “You do not have to do everything alone.”

 

The sincerity in his voice made him pause before he spoke again. “...I cannot make any promises,” he admitted, his voice almost drowned out by the loud-mouthed Bot Fieri on HV. “But I will try.”

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Hanzo saw a simple, yet weary smile flash across Genji’s face. “That’s all I ask.”

 

\-----

 

In spite of the numerous motivation posters and company policies posted along the walls of the break room, the energy level was rarely anything more than a dull roar.

 

Jesse had worked here long enough to know that folks didn’t come to the break room to energize themselves. No, it was the place where everyone scarfed down their lunches like it was the first meal they had in ages, and where they mentally prepared themselves before diving back into the hellscape that was customer service.

 

It was also the gossip hub of Blizzmart. Not that anyone would admit, though.

 

“Well, there it is.” Angela sipped her orange juice lazily, her head resting against her palm as she scrolled through the news article on her holo-pad. “ _Blizzmart Announces Final Date of Business._ May 30th, 2077.”

 

“So just a lil’ under six months then.” Jesse scoffed as he poured the last of his chips into his hand and shoved them in his mouth. “Real nice of Jack to keep us up to date, huh?”

 

Angela looked up from her phone and gave him a disgruntled, half-hearted glare. “He’s doing his best, Jesse. No need for that.”

 

“He… does have a point, though.” Gesturing with her plastic knife, Brigitte weakly shrugged with her bagel in hand. “I mean, he _did_ _say_ in the announcement he’d inform us when he made a decision.”

 

“Well…” The pharmacist began to protest, but then nodded begrudgingly. “Yes, he did say that, didn’t he?

 

“Makes you wonder how the press got a hold of that information before us,” Jesse shook his head. “Guess it don’t matter much now. Either way, we got ‘til the end of May before we’re all out of a job.”

 

Brigitte nodded. “It doesn’t seem like a long time, but the more you think about it…” She trailed off with a sigh and eventually took a bite of her toasted bagel in lieu of finishing her thought.

 

Angela pursed her lips, setting her juice box aside. “Do you think Talonco is hiring? They just opened up, after all.”

 

“Oh, I wouldn’t, if I were you.” Jesse leaned back in his chair, the flimsy metal and plastic creaking at the shift in weight. “Been hearin’ all sorts of unsavory news comin’ from that cesspool of a company. Overworkin’ employees, shady hirin’ practices, the whole nine yards.”

 

“Hm. A shame, then.” Angela sighed dreamily, poking at a stray crouton from her salad with her fork. “Perhaps this is just a sign I should finish my doctorate after all.”

 

“Mmf-hmf?” Brigitte mumbled, swallowing quickly before speaking again, “Sorry. ‘Doctorate’? I thought you already had that.”

 

Angela laughed. “If I did, I would not be working here as a pharmacist, now would I?”

 

“Well, yeah.” With a sudden surge of excitement, Brigitte scooted further into the table towards the woman across from her. “But since you’re going for your doctorate, does that mean you want to open your own practice then?”

 

“Ah, no, no. I am more interested in research and developing medicines and treatment options.” Angela shook her head with a shy smile, one that quickly turned mischievous as she turned to look at Jesse. “But... if we are talking private businesses, perhaps you should ask our resident entrepreneur himself!”

 

“Wait, really?” Suddenly, Jesse felt Brigitte’s laser-like focus zip over to him, his face growing warm at the sudden attention. “ _You_ have your own business? Since when?!”

 

“Since never, ‘cause I don’t _got_ one.”Shooting a quick glare at the wicked witch herself across from him, Jesse scratched the scruff of his chin. “Not, uh… not yet, at least.”

 

“Jesse has been talking about opening his own flower shop for nearly a year now.” Angela interjected with a chuckle, earning yet another lukewarm scowl from the man in question as she quickly dove back into her salad.

 

Brigitte’s eyes widened further and her smile grew. “I didn’t know you were that interested in flowers!”

 

“Well, yeah.” Jesse tried not to roll his eyes too hard and sighed with a grin. “Sure, I ain’t got as many years under my belt as Amari, but I like to think I know what I’m doin’ when it comes to flower arrangin’.”

 

“Would it just be bouquets or did you have something else in mind?” The younger woman asked. “Oh, or is it an online business?”

 

“Easy there, girlie. One at a time there.” He held up his hands in defense. “I ain’t doin’ nothin’ fancy, just a lil’ place of my own. Somethin’ quaint an’ simple, y’know?”

 

Angela finished chewing and nodded at him. “You were saying before you had a few locations in mind. Have you been able to narrow it down at all?”

 

“Sorta.” Jesse sagged a bit, balling up his bag of chips with a defeated sigh. “Took a real shine to this little place -- good location, decent rent -- but now the landlord’s tellin’ me he’s gonna need a down payment. Tells me a couple others have been lookin’ at the property lately, an’ it’d really help my chances.”

 

“Sounds like he’s trying to get as much money out of you as he can.” Brigitte frowned. “My dad told me his landlord tried to do something like that to him when _he_ opened up his shop, but Mama managed to negotiate and get down the price.”

 

“Yeah, this guy ain’t exactly the negotiatin’ type.” He itched the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. “Frankly, it’s a miracle he hasn’t told me ‘no’ so far, what with all my pesterin’.”

 

“So then what about a loan?” Angela offered up.

 

That nearly got a bitter laugh from Jesse. He didn’t have nearly enough time in his break to explain all the reasons his bank would probably refuse that request in a heartbeat. Reckoned that explanation alone would take about an hour, and all he had now was five minutes to get back to work.

 

For now, he settled for a simple, noncommittal shrug and a quick, “I’ll think about it,” before standing to his feet. He could already feel the exhaustion from the morning begin to seep back into his legs as he strode across the room to throw out his chips and sandwich wrapper. “You ladies enjoy your lunch. Pretty sure Ana’s sent out some kinda search party for me now.”

 

“See you later then, Jesse.” With a short wave, Brigitte gave him a warm smile. “Oh, and good luck with your business!”

 

Jesse grinned and waved back at them as he trudged out the door, grabbing his apron off the hooks outside as he went.

 

It was infectious, really, that one’s eagerness and go-get-’em attitude. Certainly helped put a bit of pep back in his step. He wanted to believe it was all he needed, but he knew better at this point.

 

Just like that, that brief little spark of something, call it hope or whatever, left him as soon as it came. With a newfound weight of dread in his bones, Jesse tied his apron back on, and greeted the next approaching customer with a low-energy smile and saying that was rote-memory at this point. “Afternoon, sir. How can I help you?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *For future reference, parentheses mean speaking in another language!
> 
> Thank you for reading! As always, you can find me over at my [tumblr](http://aerihead.tumblr.com/) and my [twitter](https://twitter.com/aerihead/)!  
> follow">here!


	3. Aisle Three: Canned Goods/International

 

It wasn’t a bad smile, Hanzo thought as he watched the scruffy florist across the way. And he’d admit, the look was handsome in its own right. Charming with minimal effort, the easygoing half-grin did its job well enough to placate tired housewives and the elderly when they came around.

 

But every time he saw it, that nagging thought popped into his head of, ‘what does his real smile look like, if his fake one was already attractive?’

 

Up until about two months ago, Hanzo had been pushing back such thoughts, writing them off as foolish. It was just proximity and his own boredom playing tricks on his mind, he had told himself. There was nothing _that_ interesting about this man in reality, aside from the fact that sometimes he wore an honest-to-God Stetson and spoke like a spaghetti-western incarnate.

 

Did that stop those thoughts? Not the slightest.

 

In fact, as time went on, they got _worse_ , and now he’s stuck with a stupid infatuation with the strong, rugged, good-looking cowboy of a florist across the way.

 

“Hanzo?”

 

He  blinked. Suddenly his mind was back in the bakery and his hands were back to filling cookie tubs with… how many cookies was it again? Twelve? Thirteen? He could never remember. Whatever made them look full without putting too much product in, something like that.

 

“Hanzooo!”

 

“Hm?” Someone was calling him. He shook his head and craned his neck back towards Brigitte by the ovens. “Shut the door, you’re letting out the heat.”

 

“I’m on it.” Brigitte snorted as she closed the oven with a lazy, one-handed push, the mighty metal door shutting with a soft _whoosh._

 

“Thank you.” He nodded. “What was it that you needed?”

 

“Your timer went off.” She jabbed a thumb at the rack behind her, a pair of oven mitts draped on the top. “I took your shortcrust out so they wouldn’t burn and wanted to know where you wanted them.”

 

“...Oh.” Hanzo reached to start another cookie for the tub and found there were no more on the tray beside him. He sensed the girl’s eyes on him as he made to turn fully towards her with a sheepish clear of his throat. “Just leave them be for now, thank you.”

 

Hanzo felt his face grow hot as she laughed and took the empty tray from his work table under her arm. Balling up his plastic gloves, he turned his attention back towards the tubs of cookies and began the monotonous process of pricing. Weigh the tub, rip the sticker, slap it on. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

 

Somewhere behind him, Brigitte grabbed a few more empty trays and made her way towards the sink, the metal clattering loudly into the basin. “You know, he’s really not that hard to talk to.”

 

Hanzo huffed. “I have no idea what you are referring to.”

 

“Sure you don’t.” He could hear her roll her eyes as she spoke. “I’m serious, though. That Jesse’s pretty friendly. Me and Angela were just talking to him at lunch, and he was really nice! Did you know he’s going to open up his own flower shop when Blizzmart closed?”

 

 _Ah, so his name is Jesse._ In spite of himself, Hanzo felt his ears metaphorically perk up, his hands slowing in their sticker-slapping. “...You don’t say. His own shop?”

 

“Mm-hm!” She hummed over the sound of spraying water. “He didn’t really go into specifics, and he was mentioning a bit of trouble getting the money together, but I still think it’s pretty brave of him to want to try! I mean, opening your own shop, being your own boss -- you have to admit that sounds pretty great, right?”

 

“It also means he would be entirely responsible should it fail.” Hanzo mused. It was a risky endeavor and not without its own downfalls, certainly, but nevertheless the idea of a private business was… intriguing, to say the least.

 

“Well, yeah. But if you know what you’re doing and you make the right investments, it’ll all work out.” Brigitte groaned humoressly. “Oh, great. I’m starting to sound like Papa!”

 

Hanzo chuckled. “Your father sounds like a wise man, then. You should listen to him.”

 

“Now _you’re_ sounding like him.”

 

“Then you had better watch your tone with me, young lady.” He warned with a wag of his finger, earning a laugh from the red-head. “Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and I would hate to leave you all by yourself when it comes time to decorate the mini-cupcakes.”

 

“You’re evil, know that? Pure evil.” She laughed and turned back to her washing. “Alright, fine, you don’t sound like Papa. But you do sound like a nagging old man.”

 

“Fair enough.” Hanzo relented with a smile and shrug. He would argue, but then remembered his fortieth wasn’t so far off as he used to think.

 

“Excuse me!” A shrill voice shouted just then from the front of the display case, the words dripping with entitlement as the customer spoke. “Can I speak to someone back there, _puh-lease?!”_

 

The two’s eyes met and they exchanged an exasperated look before Hanzo set aside the cookie tubs. “Take over for just a moment. I’ll see what this customer wants.”

 

“Godspeed.” Brigitte called out.

 

Taking a bit of inspiration from the florist, he decided to put on his half-best smile as he greeted the woman with the worst highlight job he had seen thus far. “Thank you for your patience, ma’am. How may I help you?”

 

\-----

 

_Rum. Ru-rum. Ru-ru-ru-ru-ru-rum._

 

_Bing-bing-bing-bing._

 

Jesse tried the engine again. Another series of sputters, pops, and various pathetic noises sounded, the lights on his dashboard flickered weakly, but the truck engine refused to rev to life.

 

It was no use. He had tried to ignore the ugly truth of it all but he knew. Oh, he knew deep down, deep in his heart of hearts, his old girl was going on him. Damn truck was probably made just after hovertec was implemented in just about every car there ever was, and it was starting to show in her gait. He just hoped this wasn’t her dying breath, so to speak.

 

With a defeated groan, he let his head slump against the wheel, his breath fogging up the dusty glass of the dashboard. “C’moooon.”

 

Outside, the sky was dimming fast and the neon lights of the strip mall around him were turning on for the night. Tuesday evenings were a crapshoot for the parking lot, sometimes it was filled with folks just ‘picking up one or two things’ on their way home from work and other days it was like this: barren and quiet, save for a couple of cars and a single motorcycle parked just a little ways away from him.

 

The relative emptiness of the lot just served as another reminder of how he could be well on his way home right, and instead he was trying to start his damn car for the… God, was it already the fourth time? He had lost count.

 

Jesse tried again. It hum-hum-hummed a little longer, a spark of hope in these trying times, before once again falling dead to the world. Definitely the fifth time.

 

No one picked up from the towing service when he called earlier. He tried ringing up Fareeha, but as far as he knew, Lady Bird was still dead to the world from jetlag and hadn’t answered back. With his options his patience dwindling, he decided if the car wouldn’t start this next time, he’d give the tow truck another call. And if that failed, he’d call Fareeha again.

 

And if _that_ failed, he’d probably scream and then hoof it home.

 

Before Jesse could even turn the key in the ignition, a flash of black appeared out of the corner of his eye. He looked up, and immediately balked at what he saw just two spaces away from him.

 

It was funny. In his mind, Jesse never thought of anyone at Blizzmart being the type to ride a motorcycle. It wasn’t that the folks at Blizzmart weren’t cool, but they just weren’t _motorcycle_ people. Jack drove an old Jeep, Angela had her sedan, Hana just walked since she lived so close by -- everyone had simple, safe, plain ways of getting to and from work.

 

But apparently, he was wrong, because gearing up on the sleek black motorcycle was none other than Mr. Shimada, the bakery manager.

 

He knew he had been staring for too long when the man in question looked up and caught his gaze. Jesse flinched, fumbling for the key and turning it clumsily.

 

_Ru-ru-ru-ru-rum. Ru-ru-ru-rum. Rum._

 

_Rum._

 

_Bing-bing-bing-bing._

 

“Goddamn it…” He slumped back in his chair and blew out a frustrated huff as he ran a hand through his bangs. When he dared to look up next, Mr. Shimada had hopped off his bike and was making his way towards his truck. So much for a clean getaway.

 

A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Ana said, _and so much for admiring from afar._

 

He tried not to jump when Hanzo came up to the side of his car and tapped on the driver side window. Rolling it down, Jesse gave a weak smile and nodded. “Evenin’, Mr. Shimada.”

 

“Good evening, Jesse.” Mr. Shimada greeted back, and _boy_ did just hearing his name from the man make his insides twist up something fierce. He made a vague gesture to the truck with a look of concern. “Is everything alright? It sounded like you were having some trouble with your car.”

 

“Oh, uh… yeah,” Jesse flustered. “Just a lil’ bit of a slow start, s’all. She’ll be up an’ runnin’ in just a tic here. No need to, uh,” he cleared his throat and patted the side of his truck with a chuckle, catching himself before he said ‘pretty little head’. “Yeah, no need to worry ‘bout me there.”

 

Mr. Shimada quirked up a brow, his eyes darting between the old truck and Jesse himself, before his lips cracked into a sly smirk. “How long have you been out here?”

 

“I, uh…” The question took him by surprise. “Y’know, just a… just a lil’ while. Why’dya ask?”

 

“Your nose is bright red.”

 

“Oh. Right.” He suddenly became aware of just how damn cold it was outside, and he fought back a shiver. With a sniffling sigh of defeat, Jesse figured it was no use lying now. Not that he was doing a very convincing job to begin with, truthfully. “Think it’s my battery. The thing’s either goin’, or just plain shot altogether. Called a tower, but haven’t heard from anyone, so I’m stuck.”

 

The man nodded along, his arms crossed across his chest and crinkling the black leather fabric of his jacket. Jesse did his damn best not to outwardly admire just how good Mr. Shimada looked in it, like some sorta hormone-driven teenager, and instead turned his focused on the blinking lights on the dashboard of his truck.  

 

After a moment of deep thought, Mr. Shimada gestured back towards the motorcycle. “Did you… need a ride home, then?” A hint of nervousness teased at the edge of his own voice as he quickly added, “I will not be offended if you say no. But it is getting late, and I am sure you’d wish to get home soon.”

 

“Oh, uh… I…” Jesse blinked. Was this really happening? What was even going on anymore? Hesitation on his tongue and a smile on his lips, he tried to find the words. “That’s… well, shoot, that’s mighty kind of you, Mr. Shimada. I must appreciate the offer--”

 

The man smiled back, holding up a hand. “Please, call me Hanzo.”

 

“Well, Hanzo,” Jesse tested the name out, and found he rather liked saying it. “If you sure I ain’t gonna be troublin’ you none, then I reckon--”

 

_BEEP-BEEP!_

 

The both of them jumped at the sudden car horn that echoed in the parking lot, and never in that one moment was Jesse more pissed to see Fareeha in his life.

 

“Jesse! Hey, Jesse!”

 

Fareeha’s faded blue sedan pulled into the parking lot and rolled to stop just beside Jesse’s truck, the dark-haired woman leaning out the front window as she waved. Even from here, he could see her hair bunched up on the one side from where she probably had been sleeping.

 

“Sorry I’m late, I just got your voicemail!” She made a quick, ‘come hither’ hand motion at him. “I called the tow truck already, so just grab your things and we can go.”

 

“Great timing as always, Lady Bird.” Jesse shot her a weary, but still grateful smile before turning back to Hanzo. “Well, guess you don’t gotta lug me ‘round after all. Still, thanks for the offer.”

 

“It is not a problem.” Hanzo grinned back. The effort seemed awkward, but nevertheless endearing, and Jesse couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at it.

 

As Jesse gathered his things and got out of the truck, he watched Hanzo’s eyes dart away in thought before finally coming to some kind of decision. His hand dipped into his jacket pocket and dug around for a moment, searching for something, and finally pulled out what looked like an old receipt of sorts. “Do you have a pen?”

 

“Hm? Oh, yeah.”

 

He curiously tossed Hanzo the pen from his console and saw him quickly scribble something before ripping the receipt and handing over the tiny slip of paper. “My number, in case you find yourself in need of a ride once more.”

 

Jesse remembered that he had taken the strip of paper in hand and thanked him, but past that, he was pretty sure his brain turned off. Hanzo had waved goodbye before speeding off on that sleek bike of his, Fareeha drove him back home all the while teasing him about how red his face was, and he remembered stepping into his apartment all of five seconds before the reality finally hit him.

 

He had finally talked with Hanzo Shimada, and now he had his number.

 

\----

 

Sometime after dinner, after Genji fell asleep on the couch, Hanzo’s phone buzzed.

 

**_unknown number (7:20 PM)_ **

 

_[ hey its jesse from work ]_

_[ just wanted to say thx again ]_

_[ for the ride offer i mean ]_

 

He quickly glanced to his brother, who was still slumbering like the dead, despite the sounds from the HV. Only after he was certain Genji was not going to wake did he open his messages again and start typing.

 

**_You (7:22 PM)_ **

_[ think nothing of it ]_

_[ have you heard the verdict on your truck yet? ]_

 

**_Jesse (7:22 PM)_ **

_[ yeah shop told me it was the battery ]_

_[ said it’d take a day or so to replace ]_

_[ fareeha’s letting me borrow her car til then ]_

 

**_You (7:23 PM)_ **

_[ that is good to hear ]_

 

**_Jesse (7:23 PM)_ **

_[ just wish batteries didnt cost an arm n a leg to replace ]_

_[ really put a setback on some plans of mine ]_

 

Plans, yes. The conversation Hanzo had with Brigitte earlier that day came to the forefront of his mind, and the sudden realization that he would be out of a job soon hit him like a brick. He would have to look for other places of employment, find a new trade, something that could pay rent well enough and still handle Genji’s medical bills, and…

 

All at once, there were so many things to suddenly have think about, and he found himself at a loss for what to do.

 

He began typing back.

 

**_You (7:25 PM)_ **

_[ which reminds me ]_

_[ brigitte mentioned something about your plans for a flower shop after the store closes ]_

_[ is this true? ]_

 

On HV, the intro to that Bot-Fieri show began to play, the one where he went to mom-and-pop restaurants to showcase them. Normally, he’s change the channels in favor of those unnecessarily intense cooking competitions or house renovators who spend too much money on back-splashes for the kitchen, but this time, he found himself drawn in.

 

From the heart-warming stories of the quirky restaurateurs to the homey atmospheres, there was something a bit magical to the idea of one's own business. Something almost… doable. Like even something like him could…

 

No. No, he couldn’t.

 

...Could he?

 

_“I mean, opening your own shop, being your own boss -- you have to admit that sounds pretty great, right?”_

 

His phone buzzed with another series of messages from Jesse.

 

**_Jesse (7:26 PM)_ **

_[ oh haha yeah but it aint official]_

_[ not yet at least ]_

_[ wbu? any plans? ]_

 

It should have been a simple answer of ‘I don’t know’, but yet, it wasn’t. Hanzo watched himself type out his next message as an idea began to form in his head of something that was either going to be very brave or very stupid.

 

Maybe a good mix of both.

 

**_You (7:32 PM)_ **

_[ i might have an idea ]_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let it be known now i dont know a single darn about cars my good dudes.
> 
> \--
> 
> Thank you for reading! As always, you can find me over at my [tumblr](http://aerihead.tumblr.com/) and my [twitter](https://twitter.com/aerihead/)!


	4. Aisle Four: Coffee/Breakfast

 

It started snowing right around the time Jesse took his first sip of coffee.

 

He had to chuckle, really. It figured that the weather would protest just as he thought about running a few more errands around the strip mall.

 

And it was just his luck that it would be snowing on his day off, as if life couldn’t throw one more ‘screw you’ his way. Sure, his bad luck could have stopped after his truck broke down _again_ two days ago. It could have stopped after that one customer last week who kept demanding a discount on the balloons because ‘they weren’t technically part of the bouquet’.

 

But it didn’t. Of course it didn’t.

 

Man, he was getting bitter in his later years.

 

Thankfully, the inside Kọfị Aromo was warm and cozy, if a bit plain and cookie-cutter.Signature green walls, brown furniture, a few metal tables here and there -- it was the kind of coffee shop that look the same no matter where you go. Sure wasn’t like the old family-owned café he used to go to just down the road, that’s for sure. But at the end of the day, it was inside, it served coffee, and the coffee was pretty good, so he really couldn’t complain.

 

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he smiled at the name on screen.

 

**_Hanzo (2:02 PM)_ **

_[ what was that book you were telling me about again? ]_

_[ the one about the bounty hunters ]_

 

It’d been a little over a week since he and Hanzo first started talking, and while the initial giddiness has mostly passed, Jesse found himself more drawn to Hanzo than before. Ana may have called him terse, but Jesse was starting to see the man was anything but, with those  secret half-smiles and a sense of humor drier than his own. On top of their shared interest in owning a small business, and a recently-discovered mutual love of historical fiction, Jesse was finding it easier and easier to call Hanzo a good friend at this point.

 

He just hoped Hanzo saw things the same way.

 

**_You (2:02 PM)_ **

_[ its the redemption series  ]_

_[ redemption: dust and redemption: storm ]_

_[ by joel morricone ]_

 

**_Hanzo (2:03 PM)_ **

_[ thank you ]_

_[ i thought i would look for it while i was out ]_

_[ and couldn’t remember the title ]_

 

**_You (2:03 PM)_ **

_[ if ur out rn, watch your step ]_

_[ its startin to snow ]_

 

He would have texted more, but just then the door chimed at the front of the coffee shop and who else should walk in but Hanzo himself, bundled up in a thick jacket and and in desperate need of something to warm him up.

 

 _Guess Lady Luck wanted to have a bit of fun today_ , he thought to himself.

 

Jesse finally caught his attention as the man shuffled in line to order, raising his coffee in what he hoped was an inviting gesture. Hanzo chuckled and nodded in response, and once he got his drink, he joined Jesse at the small table towards the back and sat opposite to him.

 

“Fancy meetin’ you here, stranger.” Jesse smiled, leaning an arm over the back of his chair and nodding at the cup in his friend’s hand. “What’dya get?”

 

“Hot chocolate,” Hanzo said before taking a long sip and sighing. “Are you running errands as well?”

 

“Doin’ a bit of research, actually.” He pulled out a few of the real estate pamphlets from his coat pocket and rested them on the table for Hanzo to look at. “Brigs was sayin’ rent’s cheap ‘round here for stores, so I thought I’d take a look.”

 

“More locations? Does that mean then...?”

 

Jesse sighed. “Yeah. Some other folks had the money upfront; the owner called me just earlier this mornin’ to let me know.”

“I see.” Hanzo nodded, and gave him a look of sympathy. “I’m sorry things did not work out.”

 

“Don’t be. It just wasn’t in the cards.” As much as he tried to brush it off, there was still that nugget of disappointment that lingered in his chest. He shook his head, and picked up the closest pamphlet to him to make himself busy. “So how’s job huntin’ for you an’ the others goin’? Heard back from anyone yet?”

 

Hanzo frowned. “No one has reached out to me, but Brigitte said she was going to get in touch with a family friend for some work, and Hana’s winter break is ending soon, so she will probably be headed back to school.”

 

“Damn, already? First Angie’s headin’ back to school, now Cottontail...” Jesse set his coffee down, feeling the last little bit of his drink settle at the bottom of the cup. “Guess it ain’t gonna be long ‘til the place feels like a ghost-town, huh?”

 

“Considering the closing is less than five months away, I wouldn’t be surprised if others begin leaving much sooner.” Hanzo grumbled, his eyes casting downward to the paper booklets wearily.

 

Despite the man’s frustration, Jesse couldn’t help but grin at the way he quickly became engrossed with the papers . Hanzo had brought it up a few times, this newfound desire to open a bakery, and well, it sounded mighty fine if you asked him. Nothing big, nothing fancy -- just a place for Hanzo to call his own where he could be in charge.

 

 _Now where have I heard that before,_ he pondered amusedly to himself as he drank the last of his coffee.

 

Getting to know Hanzo this past week had been fun, a blast, something he hadn’t expected. He learned that the hard-working attitude wasn’t just a front, but how the man was, and that half-assing wasn’t in his nature whatsoever. His work ethic was one to be admired, and even now as he watched Hanzo pour over the pamphlets with a hyper-critical eye, he could tell a million thoughts were running through that man’s head about what his next step was going to be.

 

And in that moment, Jesse had the most, wonderfully absurd, absolutely ridiculous, ‘no way in hell this is gonna work’ idea.

 

“Hey, Han? How’s ‘bout I pitch somethin’ to ya?”

 

Hanzo didn’t look up, but still hummed as a quick, ‘I’m listening’.

 

“What’s say you an’ I,” Jesse sat up a little straighter, “Go into business together?”

 

That managed to get Hanzo to look up proper and lock eyes back up with Jesse with a subtle jolt. His stare was intense; surprised, but not angry, and yet even still, Jesse found himself flinching at the suddenness of it all.

 

“Do you mean that in I would work for you, or you for me?” Hanzo finally asked cautiously after a moment of questioning silence.

 

Jesse shook his head. “Was thinkin’ of somethin’ more like, we find a place big enough to share, you take one side an’ I get the other. We split rent, an’ we have some sorta… flower shop an’ bakery thing.”

 

His explanation felt about as steady as his voice, which was to say not very. He only hoped he didn’t look as nervous as he felt under Hanzo’s scrutinizing gaze. When Hanzo didn’t say anything further, he heard himself rambling on once more.

 

“I know it’s askin’ a lot, an’ we don’t know each other from Adam, but I figured, well, you seem to got a better head for this sorta thing than I do, an’ I know we both got a bit of a budget here…”

 

“You are assuming a great deal.” The stern man gruffly retorted with no real heat behind his words. “While I may have toyed with the idea of owning my own business, I’ve decided it would be unwise for me to invest in such a career.”

 

Jesse’s face fell. “Wait, so, you’re givin’ up on the bakery already?”

 

Hanzo’s hot chocolate made a faint thud ss he sat it down, his eyes casting back down to the pamphlets with a torn expression. “You are not wrong: money has been... tight as of late, to say the least. Owning a small business would only further those troubles.”

 

“Well, I… “ Jesse scratched the back of his neck. “I-I mean, yeah, but--”

 

“Blizzmart is a prime example of this, is it not?” Hanzo continued on, and Jesse flinched at the sore subject. The man across from him sighed defeatedly. “It is an idealistic dream -- but ultimately, one that I fear has too many risks compared to its rewards.”

 

Jesse sank back into his chair. He knew if he pushed it, he’d ruin whatever tenuous friendship they had managed to build up to this point. But even still, seeing at how Hanzo set down the papers, a fire of passion being doused by his own hand, it just didn’t feel right.

 

Looking down, he shuffled the listings Hanzo had just set down and flipped through the booklets until he came across one of the ones he had bookmarked with a little star earlier.

 

“Okay, then how’s about this,” He handed the page over to Hanzo as he spoke. “Why don’cha come with me to check this place, an’ be my outside opinion?”

 

Hanzo blinked. “What…?”

 

“You got a level head on ya,” Jesse tapped the page in Hanzo’s hands with a grin. “Might keep me from getting in over mine. You game?”

 

“Shouldn’t you be asking this of someone closer to you?” The man deflected nonchalantly. “Your friend with the eye tattoo, perhaps.”

 

“Who, Fareeha?” He laughed. The idea of her tolerating anything related to real estate was a joke in and of itself. “Nah, she ain’t one for this sorta thing. ‘Sides, she’s gonna have a bias in my favor.”

 

Hanzo wrinkled his brow, creating a look of both frustration and indecision across his face. Jesse wasn’t sure what thoughts were going through his head at that moment, but he’d reckon it was a lot, considering how quiet Hanzo had fallen just then.

 

After what felt like a small eternity, Hanzo took one final sip of his hot chocolate and stood up from his seat. “Very well.”

 

Jesse’s eyes widened. “Wait, so, you mean…?”

 

“We should hurry before the snow starts to pick up.” Hanzo took Jesse’s empty cup from the table in hand with his own and tossed it into the nearby trash can. “I’ll follow behind you.”

 

Oh, right. His other issue. Jesse stood to his feet and made his way towards the door with the other, giving a sheepish laugh. “Well, funny thing…”

 

“Let me guess,” Hanzo gave one of those half-smirks that had no business being that charming. “You don’t have your car yet, so you walked here.”

 

He felt his ears warm as they shuffled out the door and into the snowy outside, the white powder just beginning to form a thin layer on the sidewalk and roads. “Well, uh…”

 

Before he could even answer, he saw a helmet tossed his way and instinctively caught it against his chest clumsily.

 

Hanzo chuckled, already swinging a leg over on his motorcycle as he put his head through his own helmet. Though his face was now hidden, Jesse could just imagine the amused expression on the other side of that shiny black helmet, as if to say, ‘Well then?’

 

Son of a gun was lucky he was cute enough to pull off that level of smugness.

  


\----

 

Hanzo thanked his lucky stars his motorbike had a GPS built in.

 

In his defense, it really wasn’t Jesse’s fault he nearly missed several turns. Hanzo had known the man was stronger than he looked and that he was already quite sturdy-looking to begin with. But feeling him pressed against his back, arms wrapped around him tightly, and him leaning against him with every turn they made, it was more than a little bit distracting.

 

Fortunately (or, maybe unfortunately), the drive over to the lot wasn’t a long one, only a few miles down the road from where they had gotten coffee at the strip mall.

 

Parking the bike just out front, Hanzo had to pause as he looked down at the address on his GPS.

 

“This is the property?

 

From the dead weeds that clawed their way up from large cracks in the sidewalk to the collection of faded graffiti across the boards across the windows, the building looked like it hadn’t ever known ‘better days’. It was such a stark contrast compared to the vibrant and clean storefronts on either side, and Hanzo had to wonder how the owner of the building let it get this bad in the first place.

 

Jesse, on the other hand, was seemingly undeterred, stepping up to the retail space with a easygoing smile and a hand already on the door handle, “Sure is. Owner said I was free to just walk on through an’ let her know what I thought.”

 

Hanzo made a face as they trudged inside, the cold wind whipping into the retail space after them and chilling Hanzo thoroughly.

 

Immediately upon entering, they were met with the smell of rot, mold, and mildew around the baseboards. With loud slick noises, Hanzo felt his shoes stick with each reluctant step he took across the once-white linoleum floors.

 

The whole space was longer than it was wide and completely void of any furniture or equipment as far as he could see. Towards the back, Hanzo could see a few old doors that looked as though they were moments away from falling off their hinges, and

 

“What even was this place?” He half-whispered, his eyes darting from paint chip to paint chip across the walls.

 

“Think I remember it bein’ a dollar store wayback when it first opened.” Jesse hummed in thought as he rubbed his chin. “Then I think it was a deli for a lil’ bit. An’ then I wanna say a few brothers bought it an’ tried to make a... fabric store? Can’t remember, but it’s been a lot of things.”

 

“I suppose it does not matter what it used to be, considering what it _is_ now.” Hanzo shook his head. Part of him worried at how many times this place had changed hands, and wondered what it was that kept this space out of business.

 

Jesse chuckled. “Aw, it ain’t that bad.” Right then, something squished loudly under his boot, and Hanzo raised a brow as Jesse made a face. “I don’t even wanna know what that was.”

 

He rolled his eyes. “It is clear to me the owner has all but given up on this place. I suggest we do the same.”

 

“Oh, it’s ‘we, iis it?”

 

“ _Jesse_ \--”

 

The man raised his hands in defense, a wry smile still on his lips. “I’m kiddin’, I’m kiddin’.”

 

Hanzo pinched his brow. “You invited me along to give an outside opinion on this place, and I have. It’s not worth the time nor the effort it would take to fix everything.” He shot a wary look towards one of the doors creaking on its hinge, and could see a darkened room that lied just beyond. “Not to mention what we-- _you_ would find in the renovation process.”

 

This time, Jesse did not point out his slip of the tongue; instead, he casually strolled about the space with a shrug. “So the place needs a little TLC. Most do when they first start out.”

 

Hanzo made to object but Jesse continued on with a bit more of skip in his step. “C’mon, this is a blank canvas here, Han! Got nothin’ but space to make whatever I want. You tellin’ me this place ain’t got any potential to it?”

 

“Potential?”

 

The rational part of him said he should have insisted, should have put his foot down to Jesse that this was not the place he should be looking at. Water damage, pests, creaks and cracks, broken doors and bowing roofs -- the more he looked, the more problems he saw with the place.

 

But seeing that spark of something, call it passion or hope, Hanzo couldn’t deny there was something infectious to the way that twinkle in Jesse’s eyes as he rattled on about wall designs, window displays, cabinets, tables, hanging baskets…

 

Hanzo closed his eyes, and suddenly, he was no longer standing in the middle of a run-down retail space.

 

No, he was standing in the middle of a warm and sunny flower shop. Arrangements out on tablets by the entrance: bright and sunny tulips and daffodils for spring, ribbons tied around their decorative vases, and Jesse sweeping around the shop with a real, genuine warm smile on his face. Definitely not the fake one he was used to seeing at Blizzmart.

 

But there was something else there, too. Just off to the side were sets of tables and chairs. Towards the back was a display case full of pastries and cakes and sweets of all kinds. Nothing flashy, nothing fancy, nothing that would earn any awards. But people were still lining up at the counter.

 

 _His_ counter.

 

Hanzo opened his eyes and saw Jesse staring back at him with a curious look on his face.

 

“You alright there, partner?”

 

_Partner._

 

Hanzo smiled, finding he much rather liked the sound of that.

 

He gave a dramatic sigh as he turned towards the door. “If you are truly so set on this location, then I suppose we have a great deal of work to do.”

 

“Yeah, I know…” Jesse chuckled. Then stopped. “Wait, _we_?”

 

“Yes.” And Hanzo held out his hand towards Jesse. “We.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! As always, you can find me over at my [tumblr](http://aerihead.tumblr.com/) and my [twitter](https://twitter.com/aerihead/)!


	5. Aisle Five: Snacks/Chips/Sodas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo!!! School's starting back up and it seems I can only write when there's a million other better things to be doing :T anywho here's wonderwall!

 

Genji had picked up on Hanzo’s feelings after a night of drinks with Jesse and his friend Fareeha to celebrate signing the lease on the soon-to-be bakery and florist shop. And like the proper little brother he was, he immediately started teasing a slightly hungover Hanzo about it the next morning. 

 

“I never knew your type was ‘The Man with No Name’.”

 

Hanzo groaned as he leaned his head against the back wall behind the couch, Genji all but cackling from the kitchen and making his head ring at the sharp, new noise. 

 

“Aw, don’t be like that, Hanzo.” Genji chuckled before shuffling back into the living room, setting a glass of water down on the coffee table in front of Hanzo with a nod. “I think it’s great you’re finally showing interest in people again. Jesse seems nice.”

 

“I’m _thrilled,”_ he emphasized with the heaviest of eye-rolls. “--to have my little brother’s approval on the men I choose to spend time with.”

 

“You could just call it a ‘crush’ like everyone else, you know.” 

 

“It’s _not_ a crush.”

 

Genji’s eyes widened as he sat down. “Oh, you’re that serious about him already?”

 

“No, that’s not...” He sat up and grabbed the water, taking a sip before jabbing a finger at Genji beside him. He didn’t even want to start thinking about _that,_ especially with a headache that threatened to burn his eyes into his head. “I’m not having this discussion with you. Especially not this early.”

 

His brother flopped against the couch, “Then who are you going to have it with?”

 

“I’m not. It is of no one’s concern who I might or might not have feelings for.” Hanzo insisted.

 

“What if he--”

 

“He doesn’t, and I’m through talking about this.”

 

Hanzo tried to end the conversation by turning on the holo-vision, but he forgot how boring shows were this early in the morning, when the only ones up are graveyard shift workers or old retirees with nothing to do. Instead of their favorite fast-paced cooking competitions, it was some woman with a creepy smile making the blandest chicken Hanzo had ever seen in his life.

 

Genji managed to make it through a whole minute of her mispronouncing cilantro before he turned back to Hanzo, “I bet Jesse makes better chicken.”

 

He wished for the millionth time since childhood for a dog instead of a sibling. 

 

\-----

 

Work had become something surreal, to say the least. 

 

Between fewer customers and folks quitting to avoid getting laid off in the end, the store itself was becoming more and more dead every week. With February ending soon and March on its way, May was approaching faster than anyone would have liked. 

 

And yet Jesse had never felt busier in his entire life.

 

He still woke up at six to shower and get to work by seven. Still swept around and cleaned the display cases first thing after clocking in. Still got yelled at for something that wasn’t even his fault sometime around mid-day. His usual bustle was the same, a steady rhythm of movements and tasks that kept him on his feet.

 

But now, he had more than just a rhythm, a beat to follow without a second thought. These days, he had a melody to go along with it.

 

Lunchtimes were no longer spent alone and chatting with whoever was around, but instead by reading business books and going over reno plans with Hanzo. They’d talk about what paint they wanted on the walls, blueprints for how they’d separate the spaces -- a million other little things Jesse hadn’t even thought of in the first place, and yet here Hanzo was planning them out to the very last detail.

 

Afterwork, he’d drive home to change into new clothes before heading over to The Lot to meet with contractors for construction work. They paid for the heavy duty work of course, the dry-walling, the framing, the electrical work. But anything else they thought they could manage on their own, they did. From painting to moving hardware into the shop space, it wasn’t long before the Lot began to take shape into something real special.

 

 And to top it all off, his evenings were spent texting, chatting with, or video-calling Hanzo (and occasionally his brother Genji) about, well, anything and everything.

 

The last one had caught him by surprise in how it naturally it came about. What started off as updates on quotes for repair work and design plans ended up as an excuse to complain and vent about their day more often than not.

 

And somewhere along the line, _that_ had morphed into Jesse revealing he’d never seen _Sanjuro_ all the way through and Hanzo refusing to continue the conversation until they rectified that faux-pas.

 

(Truthfully, he still hadn’t paid attention much to the movie because listening to Hanzo talk about the movie’s history and the passion in his voice as he talked about Mifune’s acting career was better than any front row seat would ever be.)

 

Fareeha was convinced they were dating. Angela made passing comments with a sly smirk at how _friendly_ they were. Everyone and their uncle and their uncle’s uncle seemed to think there was something between them.

 

Jesse always told them otherwise, told them they were just business partners and good friends, and _to mind their damn business, ‘Reeha_ . But he’d be lying if he said there was nothing at all. Or at least, he _hoped_ there was something more. 

 

Had to be, right? 

 

 _Ain’t nothin’, he’s just bein’ nice_ , he reminded himself as he knocked on the door late one evening and Genji answered it with a cheeky, almost boyish grin.

 

“Go away, we don’t accept walk-ins.”

 

A bit of Jesse’s nerves faded at the younger brother’s good-natured ribbing, “Well, shucks, guess I’ll come back another time.”

 

Genji all but grabbed his shoulder and ushered him in with a groan, “Dear God, no, please come in and make Hanzo stop cleaning.”

 

The strange comment was forgotten the moment he stepped through the door of the apartment. Jesse was greeted by warm smells with an underlying sweeter spice he couldn’t quite name, but knew he immediately liked it. 

 

He felt his stomach growl and his nerves begin to  bubble up to the surface once again at the thought of dinner with Hanzo (well, and Genji, he supposed). 

 

Genji passed in front of Jesse and back into the kitchen to stir a large pot on the stove, calling out further into the apartment in Japanese, _“(Hanzo, your boyfriend is here)!”_

 

The response was curt, but clearly annoyed, _“(Go to hell, Genji).”_ Shortly after Hanzo emerged from one of the rooms, looking simultaneously the most relaxed Jesse had ever seen the man and also the most tense. Though his hair was casually down, a rare enough sight as is, there was a stiffness to Hanzo’s gait as he walked, coming to an abrupt halt as he turned the corner and his gaze met Jesse’s.

 

 _Say something,_ he shouted at himself. _Stop staring and say something._

 

“Uh… hey,” Jesse waved with an unsure grin. 

 

Hanzo blinked and nodded with a grunt, before heading back into the kitchen, head down and focused intently on the _tonkatsu_ currently frying in a nearby pan. Beside him, Genji seemed taken aback, and turned back to Jesse with a sympathetic shrug and a smile. 

 

“Dinner will be ready in just a moment. Feel free to have a seat until then.”

 

Something in Jesse’s heart sank a bit, and he shoved his hands into his pockets as if to take back the awkward wave before taking a seat at the counter. 

 

Looking around, the small but functional galley-style kitchen was sparsely decorated, save for a few bright sticky-notes on the fridge and a few colorful baking appliances taking up a good portion of the available counter space. The brothers worked like clockwork in this tiny space, ducking behind one another to grab this and that all the while bickering lightheartedly in a mix of Japanese and English, and Jesse couldn’t help but feel like he was watching some kind of show.

 

“So y’all seem--”

 

A bell-like chime went off, and Genji fished his phone from his pocket to look at the screen. “Shit,” he groaned, placing a lid back on the pot and turning the stove on low.  “Sorry, I have to go get my refills from the store.”

 

Hanzo flinched and started to move away from the pan in front of him, “Stay here, then, I can go out while you--”

 

“No, it’s fine. You can to stay here,” Genji paused, and he looked back towards Jesse with a mischievous grin that Jesse wasn’t sure he was entirely fond of. “Jesse can help you finish up. I won’t be long.”

 

Before his brother could protest any further, Genji had grabbed the set of crutches by the shoe-rack and was out the door in a flash, leaving the two of them alone proper.

 

Hanzo glared at the door before his anger gave way to exhaustion and he turned back towards Jesse with a sigh. “You can see why I wanted a dog.”

 

That made Jesse chuckle a bit as he slid off the barstool and leaned against one of the counters. “Y’know, I wonder how true that is. Was gonna say, y’all seem pretty close compared to some siblings I know.”

 

Hanzo tensed again, but nodded silently as he turned the final burner off and rested the last of the fresh _tonkatsu_ on a tray. It was only when the oil stopped popping, the fan had stopped whirring, and the sizzling food had ceased, well, _sizzling_ , that Jesse noticed how quiet the room had fallen.

 

“Genji and I used to fight often,” Hanzo murmured as he brought down bowls from one of the cabinets and began to portion out some soup into each bowl. “They were not like the fights you see him and I get into now. We would yell at one another until our voices became hoarse, and either he or I would storm out until the next morning.”

 

Hanzo held a bowl of miso out towards him, but all Jesse could do was stare. At Hanzo, the bowl, nothing in particular. Eventually, Hanzo turned towards Jesse and more or less pushed the bowl into his hands with a curious glance.

 

“I… sorry. S’just… first I heard ‘bout all this.” Jesse struggled, an uncomfortable itch building on the back of his neck. The bowl was warm in his hands, but the room felt colder and colder the longer this conversation went on. “What… happened? What changed?”

 

Hanzo seemed to lose himself in thought for a moment before staring off into the distance.

 

“Several years back, we got into an accident.” Hanzo spoke with practiced words, each one perfectly articulated and rehearsed. A script he had memorized, but his shaky voice betrayed his conviction. “I was driving him back to his place after he got too drunk at a party. We were… talking. Arguing about something, maybe everything. It matters little now. All I remember is turning to yell at him, and then... ” He motioned to nothing. 

 

Jesse’s heart plummeted. “Oh, Han…”

 

“He nearly died that day.” Hanzo sighed through his nose harshly, staring down at his own bowl of miso before serving himself a plate of _katsu._ “After Genji got out of the hospital, we decided to... start over, in a way. I invited him to live here and have been covering his medical expenses to the best of my ability ever since. It’s the least I can do.” Hanzo looked up to face Jesse, but never quite met his gaze. “I apologize for my rambling. Please, eat before your food gets cold.”

 

As if to prove his point, or possibly move away from this conversation as fast as he could, Hanzo began sipping his soup and digging into the _katsu_ as if it had been his first meal of the day. 

 

Meanwhile, however, Jesse couldn’t take his eyes off the man even if he tried.

 

Hanzo must have sensed as much. After he polished off the last of his dinner, he set his plate down and looked up at Jesse with a scowl. “...You pity me, don’t you?”

 

“Pity you?”

 

“You were staring at me just now.” He pointed a finger at him accusingly. “Don’t try and deny it.”

 

“I--” Jesse huffed, standing up straight from the counter. “Fine, okay, I was starin’, but it wasn’t… wasn’t ‘cause I pity ya.” Hanzo’s finger dropped and a look of confusion crossed his face. When he said nothing further, Jesse continued. “Think it’s mighty impressive, y’know, you offerin’ your place to your brother there.”

 

“I have not done anything special.” Hanzo insisted, adamant as ever. Jesse had to roll his eyes and smile. If nothing else, it was familiar, and familiar was good right about now.

 

“Okay, then what do _you_ consider special then? ‘Cause makin’ up with a brother you used’ta fight with on a daily basis is pretty dang special, if you ask me.”

 

Hanzo looked up in thought, and a wicked little grin crossed his face before he looked directly back at Jesse, locking him in place effectively. “I would say ‘convincing a pessimistic man to pursue his dreams, in spite of everything, by sheer passion alone’ would make someone rather special to me.”

 

Oh. _Oh._

 

“Oh, that so?” Jesse tried to quell the slight shake in his voice, but it did nothing to stop the giddiness he felt down to his bones. _Don’t overthink,_ he warned himself, _but test it. Take the bait for once._

 

He shuffled closer, closer than friends would normally stand -- close enough to where his forearm would hit Hanzo’s crossed elbows if he weren’t careful. Hanzo didn’t move, and instead tilted his chin up towards Jesse as if to challenge him, that grin on his face taunting him as if to say, “Well?”

 

“Han, you maybe--?”

 

There was a humming buzz, and then the sound of drums and melody playing. The two of them flinched, as if caught doing something, and Jesse stepped aside while Hanzo fished for his phone in his pocket with an irritated scowl.

 

“You, uh--” Jesse waved towards him at the same time as Hanzo motioned to the phone.

 

“I should probably--”

 

“I’ll be in here, it's probably improtant--”

 

“Right.”

 

They shuffled around one another in the somewhat tight kitchen space, and Jesse watched Hanzo disappear into a room off the main hallway, the door shutting with a definitive _click._

 

He sighed and ran a hand against his neck. “...Right.”

 

\----

 

Hanzo shut his bedroom door with a click and pulled his phone away from his chest to look at the screen again.

 

_[ Incoming call: TALONCO ]_

 

He let the device vibrate in his palm twice before swiping the answer key and bringing it up to his ear. “Hello?”

 

A deep, rolling voice came through the other end, _“Good evening. I’m a representative with Talconco. May I speak with Hanzo Shimada? I understand it is late, and I apologize if I am interrupting something.”_

 

“No, it is alright.” There was something to the way the man spoke that sent a strange shiver down his spine. And definitely _not_ in a good way. Hanzo curled his hand tightly around his phone. “This is... him speaking.”

 

 _“Ah, good, good!”_ He could practically hear the man smile through the receiver, _“I don’t wish to keep you long, so I will be brief: my name is Akande, I’m the store manager for Talconco, and I’m calling about your recent application to Talonco. On behalf of the company, I’d like to offer you a position as the manager of the in-store bakery.”_

 

Hanzo’s heart sank down to his feet and his blood ran cold.

 

“What?”

 

Akande laughed, _“Hanzo, we think you are exactly what Talonco is looking for. We have had some others apply, but no one has had the amount of experience and professionalism that you showed us through your application alone!”_ A pause, and Hanzo heard the man shift around, _“I believe we could even offer you a substantial sign-on bonus if you were to accept within the next few days.”_

 

“Ah…” His brain struggled to process what was being said. 

 

_“Does that sound agreeable to you, Hanzo?”_

 

“I…” Hanzo distantly heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, Genji setting his crutches down before striking up a conversation with Jesse in the kitchen. He gripped his phone and raked a hand nervously through his hair. “I apologize, but this is not a good time to call.”

 

 _“Ah, understandable. It is late, I do not wish to delay any sort of evening plans you may have. For now, consider this an open invitation to call me, preferably within the next week or so. An email containing a proper job offer will be sent to you soon.”_ The man smiled through his words. _“We at Talonco would love to have you on our team, Hanzo. I hope you will consider my offer.”_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **NOTE: Jesse doesn't understand what the brothers are saying in Japanese, but I've provided the translation for the audience!
> 
> Thank you for reading! As always, you can find me over at my [tumblr](http://aerihead.tumblr.com/) and my [twitter](https://twitter.com/aerihead/)!


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